MY TURN | Kimble Forrister

Sunday

Jun 19, 2005 at 12:01 AM

How can a Christian be involved in politics? I've been answering this question for 23 years, ever since I joined the staff of Bread for the World, a Christian citizens' movement that advocates on hunger issues in Congress.

The question has been just as prevalent in the years I've been at/sAlabama Arise, a coalition of 136 congregations and community groups working on poverty issues at the Legislature.

State Sen. Roy Herron of Tennessee, a United Methodist pastor, counters with "How can a follower of Jesus not be in politics?"

The biblical virtues of compassion and fairness are not always the primary concern of the lobbyists in the State House. If we hope to sustain the best features of democratic representation, citizens must get involved and speak their minds. Our faith and/svalues must not be limited to Sunday morning.

But it's not enough just to persuade people to speak up. I always add that people of faith must be responsibly involved in politics.

Advocates must do enough homework to know what they're talking about. That's why groups like Alabama Arise focus our efforts on educating our members on the poverty issues we address.

People of faith must approach their role as advocates with humility.

Many of us are energized by the tirades of the Hebrew prophets, as well as Jesus of Nazareth and the epistle writers, but it's seldom a good idea to approach legislative issues -- and legislators -- with a cock-sure arrogance. Politics is a world of compromise, so we celebrate when we are able to win half a loaf.

That doesn't mean we don't make our case vigorously, but it does mean that we try not to resent our competitors on Goat Hill. They, too, are doing their jobs.

Another important facet of responsible advocacy is accountability, including organizational ethics and transparency.

For example, Alabama Arise could not give credible voice to the concerns of low-income Alabamians without organizational structures that give low-income people a disproportionate voice in our decision-making. We are accountable to our members, who choose our issue agenda each year and provide a growing amount of our funding. And we publish, in almost every monthly newsletter, a list of our contributors.

That's why I take issue with a recent column by John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, opposing legislative efforts to require nonprofits to disclose their funding sources when they engage in political advocacy.

Giles said, "All issue advocacy organizations such as ours -- whether they are conservative or liberal -- oppose such disclosure for very simple reasons. First, ... issue advocacy is protected under the First Amendment. Secondly, the issues we work on can elicit highly emotional, sometimes, irrational, responses from our opponents. Exposing our contributors to likely [if not inevitable] harassment, persecution or worse is something we just will not abide."

Alabama Arise is one issue/s-- advocacy organization that is not afraid to make our list of contributors public.

You can find them in the newsletters at www.alarise.org. Many of our members are evangelical Christians who believe that low-income people should not have to suffer because of state policy decisions, nor should our tax system push them deeper into poverty. We are not ashamed to publish the list of our member congregations and groups. The list includes several of the state's major religious bodies.

Advocacy groups cannot afford to be secretive about their bases of/ssupport. An organization can leave itself open to suspicions that it has allowed itself to become a tool of the well-heeled interest groups that support it. That's why advocacy groups need to be transparent not only about their funding, but about their decision-making. Do they have a board of directors? A membership convention? Any constituency base, beyond a director with a desk, a phone, and lots of opinions?

To see accountable Christian advocacy, I suggest that folks take a look at the statements of Alabama denominations in favor of tax reform, welfare reform, constitutional reform, and a moratorium on the death penalty. In most cases, these statements are debated and approved by committees and then by the floor vote of an entire convention or annual conference. When such a resolution passes, you can be confident that it has undergone the scrutiny of a community of faith.

Kimble Forrister is state coordinator of Alabama Arise, a coalition of 136 congregations and community groups. Reach him by e-mail at kimble@alarise.org.